Giles took of his glasses and began to rub the bridge of his nose. “Angel called.”

Buffy leaned against the counter. “What about?”

“Cordelia had a vision, one that involves several people and a large number of very dangerous demons. They believe that part of the solution to defeating the demons is here in Sunnydale.”

“When do they get here?” Buffy inquired.

“Tonight,” Giles replied. “I’ve called the others; they should arrive soon.”

Indeed, the rest of the gang showed up a few minutes later. Willow immediately took a seat at the research table, looking a bit wan but otherwise ok. Her recovery was going along quickly—at least the magickal part. The loss of Tara still weighed heavily on her.

“What’s he doing here?” Buffy spat, glaring daggers at Spike. The blonde-and-brunette vampire nodded once in her direction and found a seat as far from everyone else as possible, barely avoiding getting kicked by Xander as he passed.

“I would not have invited him, but Angel insisted,” Giles replied. “Why, I do not know.”

“Maybe he’ll do us all a favor and stake the bastard,” Xander snarled. “Or we could just do it ourselves.” Only Willow seemed to notice that Spike didn’t react to the insults and threats.

“Regardless, we shall wait until Angel arrives,” Giles murmured.

“Yeah, but I’m still not liking this,” Xander muttered. “He works LA, we work Sunnydale. No mixing, you know?”

•••

Angel led a tense group into the Magic Box. Of course, it had also been a very tightly mashed group; no one had been willing to drive in a separate car, so six people crammed into Angel’s. The only thing that had saved the trip was Connor’s willingness to sit next to Wesley. Otherwise, someone would’ve died. “Giles,” Angel said quietly as everyone filed in.

“Ah, Angel,” Giles replied. “Perhaps you could shed some light on this situation? We so rarely receive a summons from you.”

Angel winced. Yeah, he’d been a bit harsh on the phone. “Cordelia had a vision—of Vraiyl demons.”

Buffy frowned a bit, and Willow sort of grimaced. Giles, however, nearly fell over. “Are you sure? Vraiyl? That is impossible!” He ran over to a bookshelf, pulling down a huge, leather-bound volume. “They never come to this dimension; besides that they are nearly extinct!”

Angel shrugged and looked around. “Cordelia is pretty positive that’s what they are.”

“And she can speak for herself, too!” Cordelia snapped. “Giles, I know what I saw, right down to the weirdo knives they carry. What Angel’s not telling you is the other parts of my visions. We’re here because we know we need your help.”

Buffy responded to that. “You saw us in your visions?”

“I thought you usually saw people who needed help,” Xander asked.

Cordelia shook her head. “Nope, I’m sure I saw some of you defeating the demons, along with some of us.” Willow cocked her head at the plentiful use of hazy pronouns, but didn’t call the woman on it. Instead she studied the newcomers she didn’t recognize. Brief descriptions she’d gotten from others helped her put names to faces—Gunn and Fred. The teenage boy she couldn’t name, though.

“So what’s it take to kill a Vraiyl demon, Giles?” Buffy asked, also looking at the strangers. “And not to be rude, but…who are you all?”

Angel glanced at his companions. “You know Cordelia and…Wes,” Angel began. Wes’s name was almost hissed. “This is Gunn and Fred.”

“What about him?” Buffy asked, pointing at the kid. “Isn’t he a bit young? I mean, Slayers start out in diapers, but I thought you were more of the ‘mature adult’ type.”

“His name is Connor,” Angel murmured. He wasn’t sure he could live through an explanation of who Connor was.

“Very helpful,” Buffy muttered. “Giles?”

Giles carried the heavy book over to Willow at the study table. “If Cordelia is certain she saw Vraiyl demons—and she does seem to be, then we all are in a great deal of danger, along with the rest of the world.” The older man’s tone of voice was serious enough to get everyone’s attention, and they drew closer to the table—even Spike, though he hung back at the fringes of the group. The blondish vampire still hadn’t spoken a word.

“What’s so bad?” Xander asked, studying the picture Giles had revealed.

“The Vraiyl are an ancient demonic race. They flourished many millennia ago, in a demon dimension with which our own world has no regular contact. In fact, according to this book no Vraiyl has ever come to this world,” Giles explained. “They were a brutal race, wantonly violent, yet intelligent. They did not simply destroy; they carefully and methodically stripped entire dimensions of everything of value. Everything—not just material goods, but hope, purity and love. When the Vraiyl swept through an area, they left behind a barren wasteland. It is thought that several of the hell dimensions are the product of their attacks. Some historians believe that before the Vraiyl, many of those dimensions were lovely, habitable places.”

“So it’s the demon version of Genghis Khan?” Xander summarized. “How’d they get here?”

“We figure it’s Wolfram & Hart, our major enemy in Los Angeles,” Fred replied. Giles nodded. He had spoken briefly to Wesley about them more than a year ago.

Buffy peered over the book. “So how to we get rid of them?”

Giles grimaced. “According to this text, as well as what I have read in others, there are not many ways to kill them. They are quite strong, quick, and wily fighters. However, that is not their true strength. At their peak, they hugely outnumbered their opponents, but unlike most demonic hordes, they were well-organized. Buffy, you could become proficient at killing them, yes, but for how long could you fight them, knowing that there were a hundred to replace every one you killed?”

Buffy slumped back in her seat. “So how were they defeated before? You said they were almost extinct.”

“She’s got a point,” Gunn confirmed. “They had to get that way somehow.”

Giles turned a page in the book. “The only real enemies the Vraiyl had were the Xsha, another species of demon. To quote this book, ‘The Xsha carried the Altenalium, a weapon capable of destroying the Vraiyl. It alone was effective against the horde.”

“So we get our hands on the Altenalium and slay the Vraiyl?” Xander asked. “Where does one get an Altenalium?”

“You don’t,” Spike murmured. “Not if you know what’s good for you.”

“Why not?” Gunn asked the vampire. He wondered what was wrong with Spike. From all he’d been told, the vamp was a loudmouthed asshole.

“It’s guarded by Thraid Alel,” Angel replied for Spike.

“I’ll bite,” Xander said. “Who or what is Thraid Alel?”

“Demon,” Spike said softly.

“A bit more than that,” Giles stated. “Thraid Alel has a reputation that easily rivals that of the Vraiyl. It is written that he caused at least three dimensions to collapse upon themselves, out of rage at their inhabitants.”

“What got him so mad?” Fred inquired.

“They didn’t worship him,” Angel said.

“How come you all know about this?” Buffy asked. “Giles, I get. But what about Spike and Angel?”

Angel shifted uncomfortably. “It’s something like Alcathla,” He murmured. “Almost a legend.”

“But like Alcathla, Thraid Alel and the Altenalium are very real,” Wesley added hesitantly. “Except that no one has ever managed to wrest the Altenalium from Thraid Alel.”

“Is there any other way to stop these demons?” Buffy asked. “’Cause this way doesn’t look too good.”

Giles flipped through the book. “We may certainly continue searching,” He said. “However, we may not find anything.”

“And in the meantime, a lot of people are going to die,” Cordelia said flatly. “I saw the visions, I know what I’m talking about. How do we get this Altenalium?”

Giles studied the girl carefully. Cordelia had changed a lot since high school. She certainly took her position as seer very seriously. “Thraid Alel resides alone in a rather isolated demon dimension,” He said, summarizing from the text. “As stated here, willing individuals must go to Thraid Alel and ask for the Altenalium. The weapon is freely given to those who desire it.”

“That sounds too easy,” Xander murmured.

“I recall there being more to it than that,” Wesley added. “Somewhere there is a book with more information.”

“Which we will find and read,” Angel growled. Giles looked skeptically at the vampire, but said nothing. He got up and waved Angel over to the bookshelves so they could search.

The book wasn’t hard to find; within a few minutes Giles was once again speaking to the group. “Ah, more information. The Altenalium must be retrieved by exactly three individuals, all willing volunteers.”

“That’s it?” Buffy said, echoing Xander. “Not really helping.”

“Do you have to fight Thraid Alel?” Gunn asked.

“I thought he said it was freely given,” Fred said. “Earlier, you know.”

“So, who goes?” Buffy asked, standing up. “Three people go to this dimension, pick up the weapon, and stick it to the Vraiyl.”

“That will take a portal spell,” Angel told her. “Crossing dimensions isn’t easy.”

“I believe I can manage a portal spell,” Giles said. “However, this may not be a very wise course of action.”

“Why not?” Xander asked. “Three people go and come back, then we finish this before the demons really start to act up.”

“’Cause from the vision I’m getting right this second, we don’t have much time,” Cordelia added. “They’re spreading out, going across the country.”

“We don’t have time,” Buffy said to Giles. “Get the spell ready. Me and Angel and who else will go?”

Cordelia, Giles and Angel all spoke at the same time. “No! You’re not going! Angel can’t go!”

“Whoa!” Xander shouted. “One at a time.”

Giles began. “Buffy, you cannot go. What if something happens? Who will be here to try to stop the Vraiyl?” He didn’t add that he wasn’t about to let her go anyway. “I will go.”

Angel shook his head. “He’s right, Buffy, you shouldn’t go. We need you here, in case something happens.”

“Excuse me,” Cordelia barked. “But I’m vision-girl, and I’ve got something to say.” Everyone turned to watch the ex-cheerleader. “I had this vision earlier. And in it, three of us were fighting these demons and winning. Now, I’m thinking that those three were the ones who went and got this Alty thingy.”

“No!” Angel said harshly. “No.”

Giles frowned at the vampire—and not for the first time that evening. “Why not? Who did you see, Cordelia?”

Cordelia ignored Angel and answered the Watcher. “Wesley, Spike and Xander.”

As soon as she was done, all hell broke loose. Buffy, Xander, Willow and Giles were shouting. Spike stepped back, trying to escape the fray. Gunn and Fred attempted to calm Angel, who was nearly in gameface, he was so mad. Connor and Cordelia just sat back and watched the show.

“HEY!” Cordelia yelled a few minutes later. “I don’t know what your problems are,” She said in a slightly lower voice, “But get over them. It makes sense to send them. A lot of sense.”

“Explain,” Giles said angrily. “How is it logical to send Spike,” He growled, “Wesley and Xander?”

“Wesley cannot go,” Angel spat. “He is untrustworthy.”

“Untrustworthy?” Xander echoed. “How?”

“He sent my—he sent Connor to the Qorgoth!” Angel grated out. “He is irresponsible. A danger. He cannot be counted upon to do this!” Giles, the only one in the room who understood the implications of being sent to the Qorgoth, paled. He stared in horror at Wesley.

“It was an…” Wesley’s voice faded out. Why bother?

Giles looked at Wesley very closely. There was more to this situation than anyone was letting on. “Cordelia, I believe you were explaining?”

“Yeah, I was,” She said, glaring at Angel. “From the way you talk about it, going for this Alty thing is dangerous. I mean, it’s guarded by a big bad demon. Who better to send than the three most expendable people you have?”

“Expendable?” Xander shrieked. “Since when am I expendable?”

Cordelia rolled her eyes. “Angel’s a warrior for The Powers. I’m his seer. Gunn’s good at what he does and helps hold an entire community together. Fred’s already survived five years in another dimension, and Connor’s been in a hellish one for about fifteen. Buffy’s the Slayer, Willow’s the best witch we’ve got—and not looking good at the moment, I might add, and Giles is our resident expert on bookish things. That leaves you, doughnut boy, Wesley the idiot, and Spike, who if he died wouldn’t be missed.”

“When you put it that way,” Xander spat, “Fuck no!”

Wesley didn’t look much happier. He knew he was expendable, but to hear Cordelia be so harsh towards Xander…

“If it’s so important, maybe we should send in people with more…qualifications,” Gunn reasoned. Yeah, the old neighborhood was important, but it didn’t sound like it would be around much longer if they didn’t deal with this.

“I saw those three,” Cordelia insisted. “There’s something about them,” She continued. “The Powers showed me them, not you, not Angel, not Buffy.”

“I do not believe that you would qualify anyway, Mr. Gunn,” Giles murmured. “There is a bit more in the text, if you look closely.”

“What?” Buffy asked the Watcher.

“It says, ‘They must be of a kind, father or mother. Washed in the blood of the Mother Terrible, betrayed and reviled by many,” Giles read. “Of a kind means that whoever goes must be either all male or all female—mother or father.”

“What’s that washed in blood part?” Xander asked. “Cause I don’t remember any bad mommies…”

“Mother Terrible is a rather common demonic slur referring to the Slayer,” Giles explained. “Xander, you and Wesley have been touched by both Faith’s and Buffy’s blood. Spike has had contact with at least three Slayers and perhaps more.”

“Can’t deny that we’re hated,” Xander muttered. “I mean, my ears are still ringing from Cordelia’s little love poem.”

“I also could go,” Angel insisted. “I’ve had Slayer blood on my hands, and am well hated by many.”

“And who’s going to take care of the visions when you go away—again?” Cordelia retorted. “Cause I’m not doing the ‘without Angel’ stuff a third time. Twice was enough for me.”

“I’ll do it.”

Every head in the place swiveled to stare at Spike. He quailed a bit under all the attention. “Why?” Giles inquired curiously.

“Needs to be done,” Spike replied.

Wesley bit his lip. As much as he hated ever agreeing with the vampire, Spike did have a point. It needed to be done. “I’ll go as well.” He tried to ignore Angel’s outraged glare.

“Very kind of you,” Giles said dryly. Perhaps Wesley would find Thraid Alel’s dimension as pleasant as Connor had found the Qorgoth.

Xander scowled. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to help—he did. But why him? “Fine, I’ll do it. Just, please, tell me what we’re up against?”

“I can’t believe this,” Angel growled, throwing himself into a chair. “We’re sending two idiots and a maniac!”

“Oh, shut up!” Cordelia yelled. Sometimes she wondered how she could have possibly fallen in love with Angel. He was infuriating, not to mention childish.

“We will amass as much information as we can,” Giles assured Xander. “It is very important that you succeed.”

“Somehow, that’s not very reassuring,” Xander mumbled.